How You Remind Me
by Kathryn M.B. Denson
Summary: She reminded him of everything he didn't want to be...and he didn't want to live with that knowledge...InuKag


How You Remind Me

Song by Nickelback

Fanfic by Kat Yuy

"You could be a bit more sensitive, you know!"

The shouting was cutting through the otherwise serene forest. Birds flew out of tall trees as if avoiding some sort of predator.

Inuyasha and Kagome stood facing each other. Inuyasha's arms were crossed over his chest, and Kagome's hands were on her hips. They were both glaring at each other.

"I could be, but that just wouldn't be me!" Inuyasha retorted.

Kagome pointed a finger at him, almost accusingly. "Inuyasha, you are the most annoying… the most irritating…the most insubordinate boy I have ever met!"

"Why, thank you," he said sarcastically. "And I would be led to believe that you're the most unsightly woman I've ever met."

Her hands balled up into fists. He knew what was coming before she even said it.

"SITSITSITSITSITSITSITSITSITSITSITSITSITSITSITSITSIT!"

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! Inuyasha groaned and placed his hands on the ground to push himself up. When he got his face out of the dirt, he saw Kagome was already walking away towards the well.

"Hey, K—Kagome, wait up!"

"No!"

"Kagome!" He sped up, but she was already standing in front of the well. "Kagome, what are you—?"

"I'm going home," she replied curtly. "Leave me alone."

"Kagome, you can't leave!"

"Yes, I can, and this time you won't drag me back. Ever. I'm putting demon wards on the well." She placed a hand on the well, preparing to swing her legs over the side.

"Kagome, I love you!" he blurted out.

Her head turned. "What!"

Inuyasha pulled her face forward, pressing his lips roughly against hers. As if appalled, she pushed him away. The last thing he felt before he saw her jump in the well was a stinging slap on the face.

Then she was gone.

(Imagine the introduction for "How You Remind Me" starting here.)

He stared at the well, his heart sinking. "Kagome…"

_I never made it as a wise man._

_Couldn't cut it as a poor man stealing._

_I'm tired of living like a blind man._

_I'm sick of sight without a sense of feeling._

_And this is how you remind me…_

The realization of his own words, the words that had come out of his mouth, hit him. He'd hurt her feelings. She was the only one he had ever loved besides Kikyo, who was dead now, and he'd hurt her feelings.

How could he do that! What kind of a monster was he!

_This is how you remind me,_

_Of what I really am._

_This is how you remind me,_

_Of what I really am._

Inuyasha turned around and walked away, into the village. Sango stopped playing with Shippo and Kirara, and Miroku stopped staring at the pretty girls to watch him walk into the hut.

Kaede gave him a funny look when he walked in, but didn't ask about it. He headed straight for the sake, gulping a whole bottle of it down, then another.

Now he had her attention, and that of his other friends, too.

_It's not like you to say sorry._

_I was reading a different story._

_This time I'm mistaken,_

_For handing you a heart worth breaking._

_And I've been wrong._

_I've been down,_

_Into the bottom of every bottle._

_These five words in my head,_

_Scream "Are we having fun yet?"_

_Yet, yet, yet…no, no._

_Yet, yet, yet…no, no._

Sango's voice sounded behind him, but he was now too drunk to pay much attention to the sympathy in her voice. "Inuyasha…" she whispered. "Did something happen to Kagome?"

He laughed, and realization of how bitter of a laugh it was didn't startle him. "Yeah, something happened to her. I happened to her. And this time, she's never coming back."

_It's not like you didn't know that,_

_I said I love you, and I swear I still do._

_And it must have been so bad,_

_Because living with me must have damn near killed you._

_And this is how you remind me,_

_Of what I really am._

_This is how you remind me,_

_Of what I really am._

"Never coming back!" Miroku and Sango both knelt at his sides, shock evident in both faces. Miroku's eyes then narrowed. "Demon, you didn't—"

"I didn't kill her, no," Inuyasha said. The sake was starting to kick in and he didn't feel much anything anymore. "I guess I stood on her last nerve, and…"

"So, she doesn't want to come back?" Sango asked. She looked mad at him.

"Go ahead and hit me if you want to," he said, opening another bottle. "I don't care. I don't care about anything anymore."

_It's not like you to say sorry._

_I was reading a different story._

_This time I'm mistaken,_

_For handing you a heart worth breaking._

_And I've been wrong._

_I've been down,_

_Into the bottom of every bottle._

_These five words in my head,_

_Scream, "Are we having fun yet?"_

_Yet, yet, yet…no, no._

_Yet, yet, yet…no, no._

_Yet, yet, yet…no, no._

_Yet, yet, yet…no, no!_

Inuyasha woke with a headache. The others had apparently set him on a futon when the alcohol made him pass out.

He groaned, standing up and walking outside. There he jumped into a tree, where he felt more comfortable. He realized suddenly that it was the same tree where he and Kagome had first met. With a quick movement, he jumped out and into another one.

He pulled a dagger out of his clothing. Holding it up to his wrist, he closed his eyes. Now the pain would disappear. Now, everything would be—

"Inuyasha?" a familiar voice called.

His amber eyes widened in surprise, and the dagger dropped with a clatter on to the tree branch. No blood coated its shiny surface.

_Never made it as a wise man._

_Couldn't cut it as a poor man stealing,_

_And this is how you remind me…_

"K-Kagome?" he said, just loud enough for the other person to hear.

This is how you remind me… 

In the dark, he could still see her smile. "Inuyasha," she replied, relief washing over her face.

_This is how you remind me,_

_Of what I really am._

_This is how you remind me,_

_Of what I really am._

He jumped down to face her. "What are you doing here?" he asked in an even voice. No emotion. No changes.

Her smile faltered when she saw his face. "Oh…" She shifted uncomfortably.

Inuyasha stared at her, waiting patiently for an answer.

_It's not like you to say sorry._

_I was reading a different story._

_This time I'm mistaken,_

_For handing you a heart worth breaking._

_And I've been wrong._

_I've been down,_

_Into the bottom of every bottle._

_These five words in my head,_

Scream, "Are we having fun yet?" 

"I—I came to say I was sorry!" Kagome finally spit out.

Yet, yet, yet… 

_Are we having fun yet?_

_Yet, yet, yet…_

_Are we having fun yet?_

_Yet, yet, yet…_

"Take it back."

"What?" she said, confused.

He walked to where she could see him in the light of the full moon. "Don't apologize!"

Her gray eyes widened when she saw the mark on his face. He probably looked a wreck otherwise, too. He could tell that his long hair was messy and disheveled.

"Oh, Inuyasha…" She looked hurt slightly. She took a step closer to him, and he tensed, then forced himself to relax.

"Kagome, do me a favor," he whispered. "Just 'sit' me as many times as you like." He closed his eyes.

But pain shooting up his entire body was not what he felt. Instead, he felt her lips pressing against his. Surprised, he pulled her against him as he kissed back. Then before she pulled away and ruined the memory, he released her.

"I really am sorry," she said softly, pressing her face into his shoulder. He could feel her shaking, and embraced her again.

"I know, Kagome," he said, gently stroking her hair. "I'm sorry, too."

Owari


End file.
